Chuffle is a story about refuge, compassion, and acceptance set in Sandown. It recently won third prize for children’s fiction at the Isle of Wight Book Awards 2025.
What’s the story behind the story? Well, the tale was developed through an Arts Council England-supported project at Boojum&Snark, with the ambition of creating a modern myth about Sandown, Isle of Wight. It explores fears, anxieties, and hopes which are relatable in today’s world. The tale centres on Tamilia, a tiger fleeing persecution who washes ashore in Sandown Bay and finds sanctuary through the kindness of zookeeper Janet Wilkes. The story’s title, Chuffle, refers to the soft, comforting purr of a large cat, symbolising happiness. Initially, the whole project was directly inspired by Teresa Grimaldi’s experimental film, Splice, which features Janet, a former zookeeper, walking a big cat. Chuffle is really an equal partnership of illustrations and words, making Teresa’s artistic role vital.
Creatively, Chuffle was a joyful experiment where I intentionally wove documented facts and local idiosyncrasies into the story to conjure folklore that feels authentic to Sandown, a celebration of the town’s unique character. One truly unbelievable historical detail is the fact that tigers and pumas were actually walked on Sandown beach in the 1970s and 80s by former zoo staff, including Jack Corney. Hearing a woman at the Isle of Wight Book Awards recall seeing the tigers on the beach from the top deck of her bus to school perfectly illustrates this wonderful spectacle that became a ‘familiar sight.’ I also included a subtle nod to local history. Janet Wilkes is a play on John Wilkes, the former radical mayor of London who made Sandown his home. Also, the character Mr Tooth, the signwriter, is inspired by Henry Tooth, a theatrical scene painter and mastermind behind Bretby Pottery. Henry Tooth designed the beautiful but sadly painted-over ceiling of Sandown Town Hall. In the story, Mr Tooth is initially fearful of Tamilla but has a change of heart and eventually decorates the zoo arches – this act symbolises the community’s embrace of the stranger.
The story is also deeply anchored in nostalgia and the ordinary details of seaside life such as the odd things that wash up on the beach, including bottles, oranges and Lego. Janet and Tamilia enjoy a typical seaside day out when they visit the Pier. They play the fruit machines and one-armed bandits, returning home with ‘tuppence fingers and paws’—a detail anyone who’s spent loose change in the arcade will understand. However, the compassionate heart of Chuffle lies in its parallel to the extraordinary work of The Wildheart Trust (formerly Sandown Zoo). Tamilia’s escape from persecution directly mirrors the real-life missions of the Trust, which rescues animals, including bears, from around the world.
Chuffle is aimed at older children, and although aesthetically simple, the themes running throughout are complex. Part of the motivation for writing Chuffle was its potential to open up conversations about loss and feelings of alienation in a sensitive way. While the inclusion of loss was a big decision to make, both Teresa and I believed it was crucial to the story’s depth not only to create a myth but we felt that tackling this complex theme may be an important way to support childrens emotional development. Tamilia’s ultimate act of heroism, swimming out to sea carrying an unexploded torpedo to save people on the beach, is crucial to the making of a new myth. The enchantment happens when Tamilia’s soul shifts to become the stripey patterns left in the sand and the ‘soft chuffling growl in the ebb and flow of the waves,’ the benign spirit of Sandown Bay.
Chuffle was an extremely collaborative process. Many thanks go to Tommy Brentnall for designing and printing the book, to Anmarie Bowler and Maggie Sawkins for their valuable contributions, and to Teresa Grimaldifor her creative partnership. I am also grateful to Arts Council England for continuing to support creative opportunities like this – it is a tremendous personal achievement. The project owes its final thank you to Sandown itself – after all, it’s no ordinary town.
Limited edition Riso book available for £10 email tracy@boojumandsnark.co.uk
Tracy Mikich is a creative producer at Boojum&Snark who specialises in leveraging the power of art and creativity in placemaking.
